With the team winning 13 of its last 16 games and sitting in postseason position at fourth place in the Central Division, this announcement comes as the team makes an impressive push toward the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs in hopes of vying yet again for the sport's ultimate prize. By increasing the capacity inside Bridgestone Arena, more than 1,500 additional fans can now rally behind the Predators each game, building off the momentum that has already been created on the ice.
Because of the daily increases in vaccine distribution and SMASHVILLE'S strict adherence to the health and wellness protocols determined by the NHL and Metro Health - inclusive of the wearing of masks by fans at all times inside Bridgestone Arena except when actively eating and drinking - the organization has been permitted to increase capacity in the seating bowl and the suite areas, but it will continue to ask fans to wear those masks.
"Our fans' ongoing willingness to stay SMASHVILLE Safe has allowed us to make strides towards our goal of re-establishing and delivering the best home team advantage in the entire National Hockey League," said Sean Henry, President and CEO of the Predators and Bridgestone Arena. "We thank all of our fans for wearing their masks and staying safe as they have cheered on the team this year and we are hopeful that with continued vigilance, we'll be able to increase our capacity numbers even further as the 2021 playoffs approach."
For those who are interested in supporting the Predators throughout their playoff push by joining us in SMASHVILLE, single-game tickets for all remaining regular-season home games are currently available at
NashvillePredators.com/tickets
. While we continue to work with Metro Health and the NHL to expand our capacity, available seats for the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be extremely limited. The only way to guarantee these seats is by becoming a Season Ticket Citizen.
In addition to an increased capacity at Nashville Predators games, the recently updated guidelines will also allow for 33 percent crowd capacity at non-hockey events. On April 24, the Mike Epps In Real Life Comedy Tour will serve as the first such event to take place at Bridgestone Arena since March 2020, with two shows; tickets to both shows are available at
Ticketmaster.com
.
This news from the Metro Nashville Health Department also comes two days after U.S. Figure Skating announced that all-session tickets to the 2022 TOYOTA U.S. Figure Skating Championships will go on sale at 11 a.m. CT on Monday, April 19, just hours before the Predators play the Blackhawks in front of more fans than they have all season. Hosted by Bridgestone Arena and Ford Ice Center Bellevue from Jan. 3-9, 2022, the upcoming U.S. Figure Skating Championships will take place 25 years after the 1997 edition became the first-ever sporting event held at Bridgestone Arena.
Due to the continued success of the SMASHVILLE Safe protocols that have been in place since the return of fans to Predators games in January, Bridgestone Arena anticipates hosting a full-capacity crowd by that time.
